Montana Legislator Asks to be Paid in Gold

A Republican state legislator in Montana who once supported U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) for president is asking to be paid in gold and silver coins to guard against a collapse of the dollar.

State Rep. Jerry O’Neil (R-Columbia Falls) wrote to the state’s Office of Legislative Services on Friday making the request, noting that concerns among his constituents about the national debt have prompted him to ask for payment in gold and silver coins “that are unadulterated with base metals.” O’Neil, who is entering his sixth term, had not objected previously to being paid in dollars by the state for his services. Politico first reported the story on Tuesday.

“My constituents, when I went door to door, one of the things they were interested in was the $17 trillion national debt,” O’Neil told The Huffington Post. “Some of my constituents said we would not have this problem if we had currency backed by gold.”